


Discovering the Molluscs of Uzushio

by mirrorless



Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M, Mostly Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 06:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14490630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mirrorless/pseuds/mirrorless
Summary: In anticipation of their journey, little Tsunade had understandably demanded to know more about the destination - her ancestral home. Her mother and uncle, in addition to tales of their own experiences, had obligingly provided brightly illustrated books and assisted her in reading about Uzushio's history, geography, cuisine, and, to the future contrition of the entirety of the girl's family and guardians - sea life.





	Discovering the Molluscs of Uzushio

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by art from redhothollyberries on tumblr, as well as a subsequent post by blackkatmagic on the subject of Tobirama's sleeping habits.

 

Yet another boisterous wave crashes against the small vessel's bow, followed shortly by both Tsunade's now expected gleeful cackle as the spray again spatters all on deck, and, as had every crest before it, the incremental increase of Kagami's certainty that he and his companions will be reacquainted with his breakfast should they not reach the solid shores of Uzushiogakure with utmost haste.

He never feels the slightest twinge of nausea when _running_ across bodies of water - what is it that causes the addition of the ferry between his feet and the surface of the sea to make him regret every bite of food he's had since leaving Konoha?

His discomfort must be shamefully apparent, as Lady Mito casts a sympathetic glance his way before turning to calmly dissuade her young daughter from leaping over the port bow in attempt to capture a mocking gull fluttering just above the boat's railing.

Kagami takes a deep breath and tries to steady himself, focusing on the horizon and intentionally looking away from any fellow member of the expedition, especially where their captain, an older, weathered man whose long crimson braid and bushy beard are shot through with gray, stands aside in muted discussion with Tobirama.

Kagami grits his teeth as another Tsunade-lauded wave jostles the ferry and his stomach, almost choking on its rebellious contents as a hand suddenly lands hard between his shoulder blades.

"Nearly there lad, nearly there!" the captain chuckles heartily as he delivers another reassuring thump and continues past Kagami into the wheelhouse.

There is a soft, amused snort behind him - Torifu, probably - but Kagami ignores it, closing his eyes and expending all of his willpower to desperately force his guts back into proper order, still defiant of the inevitable, though he knows the futility of the endeavor.

One more vigorous swell will be enough to break him.

"Aww," Tsunade complains somewhere to his left. "I want to bounce!"

Kagami's innards begin to steady the slightest suspicious fraction, so he dares peel one eye open to investigate the cause.

The sea has... _calmed_.

At least the portion directly before them.

Waves that were just bursting over the bow are now lapping with uncanny gentleness against the ferry as the vessel glides forward toward Uzushio on smooth water.

There can be only one explanation for this strangely providential phenomenon.

Kagami carefully steps over to where the shinobi world's greatest Suiton master stands, staring out at the peaceful swath of sea with his arms crossed over his chest - left pointer finger raised ever so subtly higher than its fellows.

Gratitude easily overwhelming his fading embarrassment, the younger man stands close and murmurs, tremblingly sincere and so low that only the two of them will hear the casual familiarity of the address, "Thank you, Tobirama."

There is no obvious indication of acknowledgement from the Senju sensor, though Kagami notices a bit of color rising across the pale shinobi's cheeks, doubtless due to the afternoon sun bearing down on them.

Hm.

If they have a moment alone, Kagami will insist Tobirama reapply some of that sun-blocking cream Homura had sent along in the hope he'd have fewer reddened comrades wheedling for his help relieving their sunburns when they returned home from the island.

The air just in front of the boat suddenly ripples with a shimmering, iridescent rainbow, and all of Kagami's concerns about the Senju's skin care regimen fly from his mind as the ferry passes through the accepting wards and Uzushiogakure appears at last on the horizon.

High stone walls surround much of the island, opening here and there to showcase glistening sand beaches or protected harbors, and beyond them a dazzling village constructed mostly of the same pearl white stone occasionally interspersed with rich dark wood lies in a dense spread across the base of its mountain foundation, with fewer buildings sporadically sprinkled higher up the slope.

Relief floods Kagami, his quarrelsome stomach almost completely put at ease by the sight, and his soft sigh coincides with Mito-sama's own as she moves to stand on the other side of her brother-in-law, though doubtless the sound is not meant to reach the Uchiha's ears.

_Officially_ this may be a diplomatic mission, intended to strengthen ties with Konoha's greatest ally, but in truth it is a homecoming above all else.

The joy blossoming over Lady Mito's features is so radiant Kagami can behold it no longer than he could endure openly gaping at the sun; as subtly as he can, he casts his gaze instead to observe Tobirama's reaction.

Impassive as ever, still standing with his arms crossed over his chest, but -

Perhaps Kagami only imagines it, but those piercing crimson eyes seem somewhat softer, tinged with a very private sort of longing as they sweep Uzushio's approaching shores.

The man may have been born to the Land of Fire, but the sea roars in his soul as certainly as lightning crashes in Kagami's own.

Tsunade interrupts his musings, leaping away from her mother and bouncing up to latch onto Tobirama's left arm with both hands and proclaim with a shriek, "Sea bunnies, Uncle! Sea bunnies!"

Oh, yes.

The mission's _true_ objective.

In anticipation of their journey, little Tsunade had understandably demanded to know more about the destination - her ancestral home. Her mother and uncle, in addition to tales of their own experiences, had obligingly provided brightly illustrated books and assisted her in reading about Uzushio's history, geography, cuisine, and, to the future contrition of the entirety of the girl's family and guardians - sea life.

Somehow, among the squid, rays, crabs, turtles, whales, and seeming innumerable varieties of fish, the child's focus had been entirely ensnared by the detailed drawings of colorful and strangely shaped sea slugs, primarily the miniscule mollusc that resembled a fluffy, fuzzy-eared bunny.

No less than four times in Kagami's hearing alone, Tobirama has patiently explained to Tsunade that the creatures are tinier than even her smallest finger, as well as dangerously toxic and thus impossible for her to pet, but these facts have apparently not deterred the child in the slightest.

Izuna had been present for the third telling, his niece balanced on his shoulders as they made an impromptu visit to his brother-in-law's office, where Kagami just happened to be collecting scrolls to file as Tobirama pored over the blueprints for an expansion of the Academy building. After Tobirama had grindingly reiterated _tiny_ and _dangerous_ , Izuna imperiously declared it only logical that the younger Uchiha should be made a part of the yet-to-be-officially-chosen escort team to Uzushio, pointing at Kagami with his free hand while steadying a lopsided, giggling Tsunade with the other.

What better eyes, he'd innocently reasoned as Tsunade had gleefully swished his long ponytail into his own, to locate minute, toxic, oceanic invertebrates than the Sharingan?

"It's already been established that he's going," Tobirama grumbled, not looking up from the papers on his desk to see the positively devious smile that instantly spread across his former rival's face at the revelation.

The duo had left them in peace shortly after, with Izuna's odd and cackled parting admonition that Kagami make certain to thoroughly enjoy himself while "on vacation".

Tobirama, slightly flushed - no doubt due to the stuffiness of the cramped office, had muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath as the door shut behind them, then simply asked Kagami for the scroll containing statistics for the projected enrollment of the next academic year.  
  
Now, with Uzushio's welcoming shores mere moments away, Lady Mito snickers as her ecstatic daughter continues to swing from a seemingly resigned and yet obviously charmed Tobirama's outstretched arm, and Kagami at last accepts this solemn duty that has fallen on his shoulders.

He'll soon be hunting sea rabbits.

 

Evening has fallen, heralded by a truly spectacular sunset over the shimmering sea, before the Konoha contingent manages to extricate itself from the duties of diplomacy as well as, save for a singularly enthusiastic Lady Mito, the somewhat smothering familial embrace of rarely seen relations, and are finally shown to the rooms they'll be residing in for the next fortnight.

Tsunade, now dressed perhaps prematurely in soft blue nightclothes with playful koi embroidered throughout, yelps in dramatic dismay as she overbalances and topples backward into the pillows piled on the plush mattress she's been bouncing on practically since they had arrived at Tobirama's suite.

The sensor looks over in mild amusement from the provided desk where he's just removed a large stack of texts from a storage scroll.

"Not sleepy yet?"

The little girl grins, showing off her missing front tooth as she climbs back on unsteady feet to resume tenderizing her uncle's rumpled bed.

"Nope!"

Kagami huffs softly, hiding a slight smile himself as he carefully deposits a sealed storage chest in the corner.

Tobirama is very... _particular_ about who handles his personal possessions. Kagami has long been trusted in the man's office and laboratories (in spite of his being guilty of the occasional mis-filing of paperwork or minor explosion - Danzō's eyebrows _had_ grown back eventually), so it's understandable that of all the escort guard _he_ might be selected to assist with the transportation and unpacking of the Senju's luggage.

It's simple efficiency to put their familiarity to practical use.

That knowledge does nothing to stop Kagami's ridiculous heart from fluttering as Tobirama beams indulgently at his niece before turning back to his books.

"You're certain she hasn't gotten into anyone's soldier pills?" Kagami murmurs, deftly accepting the well-worn tome Tobirama hands him and placing it just so on the shelf above the desk.

"She's not seemed to have slowed down at all since breakfast - I thought children her age were prone to afternoon naps and early bed-times."

Tobirama snorts, the corners of his mouth turning up again as he plucks a rack of empty glass vials from a different scroll.

"It isn't so surprising that she hasn't tired yet, considering she's being driven by such... _powerful motivation_."

"Gonna see a sea bunny," Tsunade sings unevenly from the platform bed, using each bounce for emphasis. "A whole sea bunny family. Even if they are tiny - gonna see some sea bunnies, today!"

With a final grand flourish, she flops back onto the mattress and smiles entreatingly up at her guardian.

"You're _suuure_ I can't pet them, Uncle Tobi? Not even a little bit?"

"Only once you've become the world's greatest medic-nin and can heal yourself of all toxins," Tobirama responds dryly, and the child's smile fades for a moment of solemn contemplation before she nods and the bright grin reappears.

"Okay. Can we go find them and just _look_ at them now? _Please_?"

"I'm sorry, Tsunade," Tobirama says, neatly balancing a stack of scrolls on a corner of the desk. "But it's bed time, not bunny time. Even Kagami's eyes would have difficulty locating them in the dark water."

The little girl clambers upright, legs folding beneath her as her face twists into a disappointed pout.

"Tomorrow? Early _early_ in the morning?"

Tobirama hesitates.

Kagami knows he is thinking of the meeting with the Uzukage and her advisors, scheduled just after breakfast, to discuss and plan for Konoha's role in the future of the island's defenses - almost certain to be arduous and drawn out.

The pause does not escape Tsunade's notice; her eyes widen with suspicious shine and her bottom lip begins to tremble.

Tobirama sighs again, rising from the desk and crossing the room to crouch before his niece at eye level.

"I will make every effort to help you find a sea bunny before we return to Konoha," he says solemnly. "However, for shinobi, duty must always come before fun."

Tsunade huffs, glaring down at the thick blanket beneath her as though it were somehow to blame for her misfortune.

"I _know_. Papa says it all the time - then Daddy tells him he's being a... a..."

Kagami doesn't miss how Tobirama's lips twitch, the man doubtless suppressing the urge to helpfully supply a descriptive term for his elder brother-in-law.

"Stick in the mud! You're just a muddy old stick too, Uncle Tobi!"

The Senju frowns, more from being similarly compared to Uchiha Madara than from any offense at the harmless insult, Kagami would guess.

"I suppose I am," Tobirama reluctantly allows, pulling back from Tsunade as she crosses her arms over her chest, eyes narrowing.

"Your mother will be here soon to take you to _your_ bed - we will see what tomorrow affords us when it arrives."

When the moping child offers no response, Tobirama shakes his head in light exasperation and steps away, catching Kagami's arm to turn them toward the wall for some illusion of privacy.

"While we are on the topic of obligation versus leisure," he murmurs, eyes meeting Kagami's for only an instant before falling away to a small mural of a flowering tree, "I would be - I would _appreciate_ it, if on a night free from the constraints of duty, you might accompany me on an excursion to one of the island's more remote stretches of shoreline."

A hesitant - perhaps, were it anyone else, the Uchiha might think _shy_ \- smile then, and as Kagami's heart tries valiantly to escape its confines, Tobirama continues softly, "The full moon is predicted to appear especially large and bright toward the end of our stay, and I... would not want to _too_ long forego our evening ritual."

Ah.

Several months previous, Kagami had returned - well, _staggered_ , if he's being honest - to Konoha after a difficult mission almost critically chakra exhausted, wobbling on one good leg and wheezing up a little blood, yes; but the entire team under his command had survived, and in considerably better condition than himself, which was the point he kept unsteadily trying to make to a snippy Homura, who'd met him at the village gate thanks to the actions of an observant sentry, as the medic dragged him off for emergency treatment.

Never before had Kagami been so happy to see the inside of his spartan apartment than after several long days had passed and he was somewhat begrudgingly released on stern orders to rest, return to the hospital for mandatory check-ups, and engage in only the absolute minimum of physical activity for at least two weeks.

The afternoon of the twelfth mind-numbingly dull day later, he'd opened his door to find a weary looking Tobirama standing on the other side, one fist poised to knock, the other clutching the straps of a light green shopping bag.

An elegant silver eyebrow rose at the sight of Kagami, fully dressed in comfortable, well-worn training attire, as the beginnings of a guilty blush slowly stained the Uchiha's cheeks.

"Going somewhere?"

Kagami grinned, shrugging off his embarrassment as he stepped aside to allow his former squad leader into his home.

"I thought I'd head down to the corner market for a snack - get out of the house for a little while."

Technically true; the shop was directly on the way to the training grounds.

Tobirama hummed skeptically as he settled his grocery bag on the small counter next to the kitchen sink, deftly catching a bright orange satsuma that dared attempt escape.

"It would seem my arrival is fortuitous then - Torifu insisted on sending these along for you when I left his home."

"He visited me almost every other day while I was in the hospital, bringing food enough to feed half the ward each time," Kagami sighed in mock dismay, fetching a bowl for the assortment of fresh fruit.

"The perils of having a mother hen of an Akimichi for a friend."

He bit down on his tongue as Tobirama's tired face twisted with something very like guilt, and the two stood in awkward silence for a moment until Kagami cleared his throat.

"Honestly, between his care packages and Homura's clucking, I'm rather glad the rest of you have been too busy to even consider fussing over me," he muttered, unconsciously folding and then re-folding the empty grocery bag into uneven shapes as he avoided looking directly at the sensor.

"Those two alone are treading heavily on that fine line between diligent attentiveness and outright _smothering_."

"That, actually, is the other reason I'm here," Tobirama muttered. "As you said and I've recently discovered for myself, the others are all preoccupied with prior obligations or I would have enlisted one of their aids - as of two weeks ago today, I've been without a full-time assistant."

That certainly explained the new bags under the man's eyes.

Kagami smiled softly, gesturing for his guest to sit down as he eased himself carefully onto a comfortable cushion.

"Again? Did _this_ one run screaming to the assignment desk to beg on their knees to be sent to the edge of the territory for sentry duty as well?"

"That was only the one time," Tobirama grumbled, eyes falling closed as he scowled, slightly tilting body seeming to be involuntarily headed toward desperately needed sleep.

Kagami's turn to feel guilty.

"Why didn't you come to me sooner?" he gently chided, and crimson eyes cracked open again to glare back at him.

" _You_ are supposed to be resting," came the retort, though with enough honest concern lacing Tobirama's tone that Kagami's throat tightened a bit. "And I'd rather not have Homura chastising me about interfering with a patient's recovery."

"If I manage to _rest_ any harder," Kagami rolled his eyes, "I'll wake up one morning to someone saying a eulogy over me."

"My follow-up appointment is tomorrow; I'm sure I've sufficiently improved for at least moderate office work."

Surprisingly enough, Homura had agreed, evidently pleased that his friend had taken his advice about not over-exerting himself after injury to heart for once, and Kagami had settled into the remainder of his mission-free convalescence as the right hand lackey to the persnickety sensor, using any unallotted time carefully attempting a return to his previous fighting fitness.

Tobirama, eyes still bruised from the lack of rest he'd yet to catch up on, had offhandedly inquired the first day if Kagami needed any assistance with his recovery training. Thankfully Kagami could reply that Danzō, freshly returned from his own mission, had already charitably volunteered to help beat his comrade back into shape; no need for the Senju to expend time better spent elsewhere - _sleeping_ , perhaps.

Tobirama had scowled and grumbled something at that, but was nevertheless remarkably understanding of his assistant's gradually improving limitations. The work hadn't been overly physically taxing, but the hours were long, and during more engrossing projects, especially those within windowless laboratories or dusty subterranean storage rooms, the entire day could go by without any indication of the passing hours.

Save, of course, for Kagami's stomach, pampered by regular indulgent intervals of Akimichi home cooking, expressing its displeasure at being too long deprived by yowling loud enough into the silence of the office that Tobirama glanced up from the scroll he'd been studying to look around for the small animal his assistant was obviously tormenting.

Kagami had sheepishly suggested calling an end to the day while in the same rushed breath inviting Tobirama out to share a meal with him - Kagami's treat of course, and had been happily surprised when, after a hesitant moment, the other man acquiesced.

Shinobi keep odd hours, so there'd been no shortage of restaurants to choose from, even though Konoha's streets were mostly deserted when they'd finally selected a place known for its delicious and filling okonomiyaki.

The meal was enjoyed in companionable silence, the two immersing themselves in the noise and smells of the kitchen, the background bustle of other patrons, and the satisfaction of the savory food, with only polite appreciation upon receiving their orders spoken aloud from either before the first bite to just after the last mouthful.

A leisurely walk after the evening meal is beneficial for one's digestion, Torifu often claimed, and though it was much closer to dawn than dusk, Kagami quoted his friend's wisdom to the contentedly full and therefore unusually amenable Tobirama, leading them to spend a good quarter hour ambling through the comparatively quiet village, side by side, still mostly in genial silence that was only broken when they at last arrived at the Senju's front gate, where Kagami bid his companion goodnight and then whisked himself away to his apartment after promising to arrive early at the office the next morning.

All in all a pleasant way to end a workday - and Tobirama must have agreed; these late night excursions became an almost weekly experience, and though Kagami had made the initial suggestion, the other man, surprisingly, would sometimes insist they cut the day's labors short and head out to a favorite restaurant.

These propositions, strangely enough, tended to coincide with those nights when the younger shinobi was feeling a touch of melancholy, or times the shadows of old injuries weighed more heavily upon him than usual.

On those evenings in particular, Tobirama seemed to favor a longer path to his home, and though never one for idle chatter, he might spare a compliment for their earlier meal or comment on an idea for a new jutsu. Rarely, he would take Kagami's arm to steer them closer toward an unusual night blooming plant, perhaps point out a delicate, well-hidden luna moth, or direct them to a better location to view the endless sparkling stars spread out across the darkened sky.

If the sensor ever noticed how his assistant's emotional state would fluctuate during some of these unwonted moments, he magnanimously ignored it.

Kagami supposed Tobirama must consider it an acceptable price to pay - enduring the still stubbornly flickering embers of the crush the Uchiha had not entirely managed to, well, _crush_ , in order to occasionally enjoy a meal and take in the night air without the threat of interruption by some disgruntled Konoha inhabitant looking to thrust their grievances upon one of the primary shapers of the young village in an unguarded moment.

Propriety prevented most from intruding upon what they must have assumed was a private business conversation between the Hokage's younger brother and his assistant, and a _perhaps_ imagined flash of crimson from Kagami deterred the few more daring others with onerous intent from approaching Tobirama as he walked a garden path or finished his meal.

Even after Kagami had been approved for a return to field work, and a determined Aburame Chūnin had taken his place in the office as Tobirama's primary assistant, these evening outings still occurred whenever the two were in the village at the same time and had a late hour or so to spare.

The knowledge that Tobirama still wishes to continue their "ritual" while here in Uzushio causes Kagami's face to threaten to twist into a foolish grin, and his cheeks warm in spite of the night's mild chill.

While it's unlikely that his presence will do anything at all to shield the withdrawing Tobirama from any of his overly-welcoming Uzumaki relations they might encounter, clearly the sensor believes Kagami's companionship can still be good for _something_ , and the Uchiha has a decent idea of what exactly that might be.

"Of course," he replies as the smile breaks free at last. "I would be honored to use my Sharingan to assist you in locating and preserving some of the island's nocturnal fauna. Certainly many creatures will be drawn by the moonlight."

He half turns away to place a small stack of glass beakers carefully on the shelf, making sure to put them well out of easy reach of curious pig-tailed menaces.

"I know how you love an unusual specimen."

Tobirama blinks slowly at his companion, then sighs and rubs at his forehead as though it aches, no doubt due to long travel and the day's wearying engagements, before nodding in agreement and reaching across the desk for an ancient looking copy of a naturalist's guide to Whirlpool Country.

"I do indeed," he mutters, and the room falls silent save for the rustle of papers and the occasional clink of laboratory supplies as they continue to unpack Tobirama's traveling essentials.

Tsunade remains sulking on the bed, gold framed face twisted into a ferocious pout and unwavering hazel glare piercing both of them, until she begrudgingly deigns to bid her uncle a curt goodnight when her mother arrives to collect her.

 

It must say something for the generous care that Uzushio affords its guests from Konohagakure, even to those lower creatures tasked with guarding the visiting diplomats, that Kagami is so slowly pulled from the lure of his own resplendent bed, even when the back of his neck starts to prickle as though someone is teasingly jabbing his skin with a dull senbon.

A particularly sharp prick, reminiscent of the bite of one of the giant mosquitoes from the marshes near Amegakure, has him bolting upright, left hand slapping back over the Hiraishin mark that his dark hair and usual high collar keep hidden from the world, Sharingan burning and chakra ready to be called forth in consuming flame or devastating lightning.

Sensing no obvious threat, a few uneasy breaths later he pushes the bedclothes aside and leaves the comfort of his plush sanctuary, soundlessly crossing the wooden floor. Tensed nerves are unable to entirely repress the yawn that cracks his jaw as Kagami slides the door to his room open to greet his unexpected late-night caller.

Dressed only in sleep pants and an unmatching, rather loosely tied top, Senju Tobirama, eyes half-closed and hair unusually slicked down, does not wait for an invitation, brusquely brushing past his occasional assistant and into the younger man's quarters without greeting or explanation, save for a low, wordless grumbling that Kagami cannot quite interpret.

"Sir?"

Tobirama grunts marginally louder but doesn't pause, offering a careless wave of one pale hand as he lurches further into the suite.

Visible even in the dim light, the gesture is accompanied by an unsettling amount of glittery pink sparkle.

Entirely awake now, Kagami allows the Sharingan to fade and makes to follow the embellished Senju, only to recoil a bit as his bare foot encounters a small puddle, one of a thin trail that had not been present when he'd first crossed the room to answer the door.

"You're wet."

Uchiha Kagami, master sleuth, blurts his brilliant deduction of the moisteningly obvious to the back of the renowned Suiton adept, who stalls at last, perhaps two steps from the abandoned bed, to glare glimmeringly back at the him with an air of affronted dignity - not unlike a curious housecat just escaped from a tumble into a sudsy wash basin.

A single word is offered in growled exposition.

_"Tsunade."_

Kagami's lips twitch.

"Oh?"

Tobirama's steely glower lasts only a moment longer before he lets out a weary sigh and seems to slump a bit as he runs a hand over his damp and modestly pink sprinkled hair.

"And _Tōka_ shares the blame as well, seeing as how she was the one who taught the child to make the damn things."

Kagami waits patiently for another wave of barely audible, but very uncharitable grumbles to pass and his guest to provide further explanation.

"Tsunade must have hidden the tag beneath the bedclothes while we were talking," Tobirama conjectures as he continues to slowly drip. "Though I didn't have any idea she was doing so."

There's a bit of reluctant pride in the words - to successfully prank the shinobi world's greatest sensor is a remarkable achievement. Until tonight, only Tobirama's elder cousin could truthfully claim to have accomplished it.

"And, obviously, it activated when it was uncovered."

"You're just now getting to bed?" Kagami murmurs, single disapproving raised brow entirely ignored by his companion as Tobirama crosses his arms over his chest and continues to huffily expand on the glistening misfortune that had befallen him.

"A sparkling cloud then enveloped myself and almost the entirety of the bed - save for one intrepid little pillow that had taken shelter under the portion of blanket I'd pulled back."

Dread suddenly pulls at Kagami's guts, and he takes a concerned step closer to the Senju.

"Your books, the laboratory equipment - are they -"

"Spared, thankfully," Tobirama growls. "Or I'd be in considerably poorer humor than I already am."

Relieved, Kagami huffs out a laugh, soft and without the slightest intent of mockery as he grins up at the taller man.

"This simply proves beyond any doubt that the girl is _your_ niece, you know. Not wanting to allow such foolish things as stuffy meetings and obligatory bed times to stand in the way of her pursuit of greater knowledge of the natural world - it seems very familiar, somehow."

Tobirama snorts and turns slightly away.

"She'd do well to learn a bit of patience," he grumbles, but Kagami can still see the smile twisting his lips as the sensor bends to pull the rumpled bedcovers down enough that he can slide beneath them, settling himself on one side of the undefiled bed.

"At any rate, though nearly asleep, I _did_ realize that the hour was far too late to disturb our hosts for a change of bedding or to bother someone to open a fresh room, so I washed up a bit using a modified jutsu, then lurched down the hall to intrude upon you."

Kagami takes in a deep, silent breath as Tobirama burrows further under the blankets until all but his silver head is covered, determined to tamp down the sudden internal flicker of idiotic delight with the heavy weight of logic.

His room _is_ the closest to the Senju's own. It makes perfect sense then, that it would be Kagami's bed that was commandeered. Tobirama _must_ have at least some amount of decent rest before surmounting another long day of diplomatic meetings - he'd know that Kagami would hardly argue the point, or attempt to refuse him use of what is by _far_ the most luxurious bed the Uchiha has personally ever encountered during a mission.

A lovely change from thin bedrolls barely buffering rock-littered soil, or slowly sinking into stinking, squelching swampland, that's for certain.

So now where will _he_ sleep?

He could take Danzō's currently empty room - if he wants to risk being gutted like the day's prize catch when the other shinobi returns from his guard duty shift. He might grab a blanket and go bunk on Torifu's floor - but Kagami is loathe to pull his friend from the rarity of a night's slumber in a warm, comfortable bed over such a trivial thing as this.

Casting about for a suitable path, he happens to glance out the window to see the stars twinkling in the night sky over the inky sea beyond.

That's it - he'll go enjoy a solitary walk along the beach, perhaps take the time for meditation or to run through some rusty katas before the sun rises.

Decision made, he grabs his cloak and starts for the door. His chosen sleeping clothes for tonight are near enough to casual training wear that no one he might meet at this late hour should be scandalised. It wouldn't do to leave a bad impression on their hosts.

"Where are you going?" Tobirama demands from the bed, propping himself up on one elbow to glare blearily at the departing shinobi.

"Not far," Kagami reassures, lest the man somehow come to the conclusion he might be derelict in his duty to Konoha's ruling family. "Thought I'd just head out to train for a bit while you get some rest."

"Now? I'm not the only one who needs to be refreshed for tomorrow. Why don't you return to sleep?"

"I've had plenty," Kagami waves away the concern. "Besides, I'd rather not bother Torifu this late just to let me crash on his floor, and can you imagine how Danzō would react if he found me waiting in his bed at the end of his shift?"

Tobirama's face twists into a slight scowl at that, and Kagami can't help but feel there's something he's missing, before the man's expression changes again into one of stark contrition.

"I didn't come here with the intention of evicting you from your own bed, Kagami. I simply - rather egotistically, I now realize - assumed you wouldn't mind sharing with me for a few hours."

Oh.

Oh, that's a _much_ better idea than spending the remainder of the night trudging up and down the misty shoreline, drowsy and alone.

Still, he waffles a bit as Tobirama releases a huge yawn and allows his head to sink back down onto his plump pillow.

And perhaps his Uchiha blood should revolt at a _Senju_ thinking him tame and safe to sleep against, but...

"You're certain? I wouldn't want to disturb you; truly, it's no hardship for me to just go-"

"Kagami," Tobirama rumbles low, clearly out of patience for the younger man's dithering and swiftly slipping into the grasp of slumber, " _get in the bed_."

With a gulp that crashes like a wave in his ears, Kagami obeys, sliding onto a sliver of mattress just wide enough that he doesn't go toppling onto the floor, then pulling the cozy blanket up to his chin as he tries to keep his breathing under control.

He's bunked down in far worse conditions, after all.

"Certainly beats that night of sandstorms outside Suna, eh?" he squeaks.

There is no response from his bedmate, which is just as well.

Kagami could smack himself for the stupid remark - this is hardly the time to reminisce about old missions.

Now to focus on calming his nerves and following Tobirama to the land of dreams.

It's not too difficult a task, given the lovely accommodations, and Kagami finds himself relaxing again as he slowly stretches out over his fair share of the bed, though carefully never enough to chance brushing against its other inhabitant, eyes falling closed and heart rate finally returning to normal as he drifts toward the comforting void.

Tobirama lets out a soft grunt, rolling over on his side, almost tilting onto his belly - and throws his right arm over Kagami's chest.

It takes every drop of willpower the Uchiha possesses not to release the shriek that catches in his throat.

Heart again pounding away in his breast, he isn't allowed even a moment to attempt to acclimate and evaluate the situation before the insistent arm around him tightens, and Tobirama's nose and red slashed cheek are nuzzling against his shoulder.

When the pale shinobi at last stills again, Kagami finally dares his next breath, the much needed oxygen helping to restart his stalled brain and allowing it to desperately conjure all the reasons that this entirely unexpected turn of events is _nothing at all to be flustered about_.

Everyone he's ever slept with (in the sense of physical proximity while during a mission) has had their own idiosyncrasies: Torifu sometimes giggles as he snores, Hiruzen's right foot kicks any unlucky bedmate within striking distance at random intervals throughout the night, Koharu can't fall asleep until the damn cicadas do, and so on.

Until this very moment, Kagami has never given a second thought to _Tobirama's_ particular habit of taking his rest while lying on his side with an arm wrapped possessively around his rucksack, or unconsciously making a hostage of a spare bedroll.

_This_ then, is likely just... misapplied proclivity.

Kagami remembers the necessity of breathing again, taking in the clean, fresh scent of the man beside him as Tobirama's damp hair slowly soaks through the sleeve of his nightshirt, and another possibility occurs.

The brisk night winds from the sea carry a bit of chill, and the Suiton adept is always the first to pull on his winter clothing come autumn's first modestly cool evening. Tobirama, still drying from his impromptu glitter-removing shower, is merely instinctively reaching out for the nearest source of warmth. That it happens to be Kagami is without relevance.

Or _perhaps_...

Kagami swallows hard, blinking up at the shadowed ceiling at he considers possibly the _least_ pleasant scenario.

For all his heart's foolish fluttering, it has long made peace with the fact that the... _admiration_ Kagami has for the man beside him is _not_ , and shall never _be_ reciprocated; however, in this fragile moment, should Tobirama, voice soft with sleep, longingly murmur another's name against his skin while holding him so close, Kagami feels he might never recover from the wound.

It's one thing to be utilized as a chaste object of comfort or a living bed warmer - quite another to be unintentionally cuddled as some second-rate stand-in for an absent lover.

Not that Kagami has any honest idea if Tobirama even _has_ one or more or none of those at all.

While he is humbled by and greatly appreciative of all the small intimacies the man has seen fit to entrust him with, Tobirama yet remains as the sea; the majority of his secrets hidden away deep below the intimidating surface in vast depths that Kagami will never reach.

Besides, such personal matters are not any of his business anyway.

A bony Senju knee chooses that particular moment of distracted contemplation to slide insistently across the Uchiha's own leg, further imprisoning him in Tobirama's unknowing embrace, and Kagami bites down too late on the soft squeak it startles out of him as his free hand claws deep into the plush mattress.

His bedmate stills entirely, the gentle rhythm of Tobirama's breathing stalling as every lean muscle Kagami can feel pressed against him suddenly goes tense, the room dreadfully silent save for the thundering of Kagami's heartbeat in his ears.

Tobirama slowly pulls away, hyper-aware crimson eyes boring down on his captured prey as it's gradually released, face twisting out of the softness sleep had lent it into a fearsome scowl, and Kagami's entire body flushes with the burn of some unspecified mortification, his earlier nausea returning at full force.

If he's not careful, this bed may yet prove even less desirable than the pink-embellished one down the hall.

Logically, Kagami is well aware that neither of them has done anything truly inappropriate, but still he can't cast off the irrational feeling that he's committed some terrible transgression. If he were less a fool he might've instead conjured some joy for the novelty of having the one he cherishes so near, however awkward and brief it might have been, but...

He lets his eyes fall to the wadded blanket he's been mostly divested of, unable to bear looking at Tobirama any longer, and dredges up the courage to open his mouth and offer apology.

"I'm sorry."

Kagami's head whips around so fast his neck pops as he gapes up from his pillow and croaks, "What?"

It's Tobirama's time now to turn his head and avoid his bedmate's intense gaze, seeming to address the window on the far wall while responding, "You were so concerned about disturbing my rest, without hesitation willing to relinquish your bed for the sake of my repose - and here I doubt I've been asleep a half hour and somehow managed to latch myself onto my generous friend like an obstinate limpet to its chosen rock."

He makes a soft noise of self-disgust as he runs a hand through his rumpled, glittering silver hair, allowing their eyes to meet again as he says quietly, "Though it was not at all my intent, I've clearly made you exceedingly uncomfortable, and for that I am sorry."

Tobirama leans away then, making as though to leave the bed, and Kagami jolts upright, fingers unconsciously reaching out to gently wrap themselves around the Senju's pale wrist in order to prevent his departure as he squawks, "No! No, it's fine, honestly, I wasn't _that_ uncomfortable, I was just _surprised_ \- _really_ surprised; truly Tobirama, you don't have to -"

He blinks.

_"'Friend'?"_

His hand falls away from Tobirama's wrist.

"I... you - _that's_ what you consider... us?"

Tobirama stills for a moment before he shifts an infinitesimal bit closer on the bed, voice disconcertingly soft and searching gaze more than a little unnerving as he asks low, "Would you propose some... _other_ definition of our relationship?"

Kagami blinks again.

_"'Relationship'?"_

Damn, it _would_ come out like a rusty door hinge.

A muscle twitches rather noticeably under Tobirama's left eye as he inhales deeply through flared nostrils.

"All the times these past months we've sought each other's company outside of work - the intimate meals, the long walks arm in arm under the stars - my hyperbolic elder brother has whined, in your presence no less, that I spend more of my leisure time with you than I do with anyone else; you were even my companion during the festivities to celebrate the end of the summer season, where we stood together one evening under that majestic maple on the edge of the public gardens and I asked if _you_ , instead of any possible others, would accompany me on this rare pilgrimage to the resplendent land of my forebears, and yet _still_ you seem to have no idea that I-"

Tobirama's mouth suddenly slaps shut, cutting off his obviously long in coming lament about his bedmate's baffling obtuseness, and he turns away again, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh as he runs a weary hand over his face.

"This is hardly the time or place," he murmurs, gracefully swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I will leave you to your rest."

"I, uh, agree that a late night during a diplomatic mission in another country is not the best time for an in-depth discussion regarding the intricacies of our... _relationship_ ," Kagami, though still a bit squeaky, by some miracle manages to find his tongue and blabber at the taut back of Tobirama's nightshirt before the man can rise.

"We can work out definitions later - but for right now..."

He has to swallow hard before continuing, head still spinning and heart practically somersaulting inside his chest, "You're... _comfortable_ with me. Is that what you're saying, Tobirama?"

A soft, incredulous snort and the other shinobi casts a small smile back over his shoulder.

"Hm. I don't attempt to calm the sea for the sake of just _anyone's_ delicate stomach."

Kagami hums, daringly edging across the mattress until they are seated side by side, allowing the sleeve of his nightshirt to brush against Tobirama's own.

"Ah. Well... since we have at least established that we are _comfortable_ with each other, I propose that we spend what remains of the night resting together in this incomparably _comfortable_ bed."

Tobirama regards him for what seems an endless moment, the tension slowly seeping out of his posture before a yawn claims his mouth and he huffs out, "Only if you vow to stop abusing that word."

Biting his lip to keep from laughing, Kagami, emboldened by the heady rush of joy, turns away to flop back onto his side of the bed, settling against the waiting pillow before he bestows upon his companion his most sincere smile, opening his arms wide in clear invitation.

"You may continue to pretend you are a limpet, if you like."

Tobirama's sleep-burdened eyes fly open at that, and even in the faint light Kagami can see the blush that dusts across that dear crimson-slashed face, as well as the clear contraction of the muscles in his throat before Tobirama responds, "You're sure? This seems... something of a leap."

Kagami does laugh then, allowing his delight to shine through without restraint.

"Do I seem uncertain? I pray you'll forgive me my previous lack of perceptiveness, but now that I know how truly _comfortable_ you find my companionship-"

Tobirama grumbles softly, lowering himself again down onto the mattress and pulling the blanket up behind him as his head falls against Kagami's shoulder, right arm reaching out once more to wrap around the Uchiha's chest before he sighs into the fabric of his bedmate's nightshirt.

Kagami swallows tightly again, allowing his arm to brush gently against Tobirama's back.

"You'll find it a difficult thing to be rid of."

A grunt from his side.

"It will be a _difficult thing_ to get any rest, glowing as you are with all that happiness," Tobirama mutters, but there's more of a delighted, drowsy wonder in the rumble than any true offense.

Kagami chuckles softly, shifting a bit to pull the blanket over the both of them as he murmurs, "Good night."

_"Indeed."_

His companion's breathing evens out shortly after, and the last clear thought Kagami has before he follows Tobirama down to slumber is that, to compensate her for her role in tonight's events, he resolves to find for Konoha's impatient princess the largest, most adorable sea bunny that makes the island its home, as well as provide for scientific inspection any other specimen of Uzushiogakure's unsuspecting marine life that Tsunade's vengeful little heart desires.

Tobirama's arm around him tightens a bit, same insistent leg shifting to again entwine with Kagami's own, and sleep finally finds him, soft smile still on his face.

Kagami is perfectly content with his octopus.


End file.
